It doesn't seem like a big deal, but I'll be dammed if those stupid stickers are not extremely annoying. Fortunately for people who actually eat fruit and vegetables from time to time, low-energy laser etching may be the answer.

Tests have concluded that foods labeled with the low-energy carbon dioxide laser beam show no signs of increased decay when compared to their stickered counterparts. The system has already been employed in New Zealand, Australia, and Pacific Rim countries, but the FDA is in the final stages of approving the procedure for US agriculture. Honestly, fruit branding cannot come soon enough. Truly, this is a problem of national importance. How many more stickers must we eat? Answer me USDA! [Physorg via Inhabitat]